Masked Introductions
by Miss Ruby Jones
Summary: Captain Wolf week prompt: Masks. So far a oneshot, but possibly a full story. Red and Hook attend a ball, but not together. Perhaps they'll meet. Will love bloom, or will they pass each other by?
1. Masked Introductions

**Masked Introductions**

_More Red Hook for Captain Wolf week on Tumblr. The prompt was Masks, and I really enjoyed writing this piece. Can't wait to hear what everyone thinks. Reviews=love. Send me prompts or anything, and I'll try to respond with either a PM or a story. Loves to everyone_

_~*~Miss Ruby Jones~*~_

Music pervaded the large courtyard, and the people of the kingdom danced around with one another. All except one. Red had gotten her dress thanks to Snow, and she felt beautiful. But no one wanted to dance with the wolf. Even in her red and black lace mask, the people who had heard the rumors avoided her. She had gotten all dressed up to stand alone. She loved her dress. The bright red fabric curved over one shoulder, leading into black roses that attached to the matching bodice. The dress flowed down to the floor. She looked long, lean, and she felt gorgeous.

Under the moonlit sky, starlight sparkled down on the patrons of the ball. The cool, evening air kissed Red's skin. She gazed up to see the wonders of the sky. Each star shone bright against the dark of night. She was lost in her own loneliness. Even a mask couldn't hide her from her fate.

While every other woman was surrounded by suitors and dance partners, Red stood by herself in a melancholy. She longed for the attention that the other masked women were receiving. She sipped at the drink in her hand, watching the pair she knew to be Snow White and Prince Charming. The pair seemed so happy. Smiles were evident on their face, and love shining in their eyes from behind their masks.

Red thought about returning to her cottage near the kingdom. She had no interest in being alone in a crowd again. She played with her fingerless lace gloves for a moment before she set down her empty glass. She moved through the crowd on the side of the party, nearing the exit of the courtyard. Before she reached her freedom, she was stopped by a masked figure clad in a leather pirate costume. His face was obscured by a domino mask. The mask itself was black with silver accents of filigree around the edges.

The red-clad woman looked him over, her green eyes combing his figure. He was definitely attractive with stubble covering his cheeks. His shirt was open part way, showing a peek of hair on his chest. "A beautiful lady such as you should not go without a dance, lass," he said smoothly.

Red unconsciously bit her lip. She looked him over again, and she found that there was a silver hook in place of his left hand. She knew immediately who he was. "A dance with a pirate, Hook?" she asked in challenge.

Hook gave her a sly smile, white teeth peeking out from behind his lips. "So you know me, lass? Seems unfair that you know my name, but I don't know yours."

Red blushed lightly. "Everyone calls me Red," she said softly.

"Well, Red, would you do me the honor of a dance?" he asked.

She was surprised by his manners. He was as cordial as any of the royalty that populated the party. She couldn't say no to the handsome pirate before her, even though part of her screamed at her to escape as quickly as possible. She gave a slow nod, and tried to keep the smile that fought to grace her lips hidden.

Hook gave her a sly smile before he took her hand in his, and led her towards the dance floor. His hook rested behind her back, right beneath the shoulder, and he kept her other hand clasped in his own. She rested her free hand on his shoulder as he led her around the dance floor.

"What has such a beautiful woman so sad on this joyous occasion?" he asked as they danced.

Red gazed up into the ocean blue eyes of the pirate and sighed. "You would be the first person to dance with me. Everyone else flees."

"What has them so scared, love? You don't look that scary to me."

"You know nothing but what I look like. I could be a wolf in sheep's clothing," she retorted. She hoped that the true meaning was lost on him, but realization crossed his eyes.

Hook searched her eyes for a moment. "So you're the wolf I've heard so much about." Red's breath caught. Even a pirate knew to fear the big bad wolf. "I don't see such animosity in you."

"You don't know me," she challenged.

"Ah, lass, part of being a pirate is judging character. I don't see an angry wolf in you. Simply lost and scared," he replied. Red tried to come up with a quip on his own character, but he spoke before she could open her mouth. "You may be a wolf, love, but I know what the pain of lost love looks like."

Red stammered, but still followed his steps as they conversed. "What would a pirate know of love?" she asked.

"Only what I've learned from experience," Hook said. "I was in love once, and she was ripped from me." Red could see the pain he hid. The man before her wore not one mask, but two. He masked his pain in anger and hatred. At least, the stories she had heard of him involved anger and hatred. But she saw the sorrow that lay within the pools of blue. "I should have known," he continued sadly, "villains don't get happy endings."

Red knew that feeling all too well. But if he was a villain, so was she. She had spent years filled with anger at herself, and the man who stood before her may harbor anger for someone else. Not just for the person who ripped away his love, but for himself. "You're not a villain, Hook. No more a villain than I am," she said soothingly.

The song ended and the pair released their hold except the hand that Hook still held in his. "You would be the first one to say that about this old pirate, Red," he said softly, kissing the back of her laced glove.

Hook let her hand go. "Please, call me Killian."

"Killian," she said, testing the word. "Let go of your anger, Killian. I'll be there to guide you if you need."

With that, she disappeared among the crowd and out of the courtyard into the night. Without a second thought, Killian rushed after her into the unknown.


	2. The Agreement

**The Agreement**

_So, I got loves for the last chapter, and I've decided to try and flesh this out a bit. I'm hoping it keeps in character. If you have any comments, questions, or suggestions, DON'T HESITATE! I love getting reviews and messages and prompts. They make me smile. Reviews are loves!_

He had lost her just past the tree line near the castle. Killian knew that his masked beauty couldn't be far ahead, but he didn't know what he would find. Would he find the woman or the wolf? Logic told him to go back to the party, find a woman to entertain him, and forget the red-clad beauty. He just couldn't shake the feeling that this particular woman was important.

Deeper in the woods, the trees grew closer together. Killian kept moving forward, following where he assumed the woman had gone. He couldn't have been too far behind. He soldiered on to find the woman that had so easily captured his attention with one simple sentence. _You're not a villain, Hook._

"Now, what could a pirate be looking for out here in the woods?" the woman asked. She peeked out from behind one of the larger trees, the mask that had once covered her face dangling from her delicate fingers. Her ruby lips were curved up in a smile, and her green eyes were the colors of the leaves around her.

Killian turned to look at her, his eyes softening as soon as his gaze fell upon her. "A woman," he said plainly. He pulled the mask from his own face.

Red let out a soft laugh. "Most of the women are back at the party," the woman teased with mischief sparkling in her eyes. "So why would a man like you come all the way out into the woods looking for a woman?"

Killian raised an eyebrow at Red, not quite sure what her game was. She seemed to be joking, but he couldn't tell if she was serious. Did she really not remember him from less than an hour beforehand? "You said something to me…"

Red smiled at him. "That I did, Killian." He reveled in the sound of his name coming from her lips. He never thought he would enjoy hearing someone call him that again. Not since Milah. "What was it that got you to follow me all the way out here?"

Killian chuckled, deciding quickly to tease her just as she had joked with him. "Who said that you were the woman?"

She shook her head, moving towards the man in deliberate, graceful steps. "It didn't take much to figure out." She tilted her head when she was close enough to him. "What was it that caught your attention?"

Killian's words caught in his throat for a moment. "You told me I wasn't a villain."

Red smiled and touched the pirate's face. "You're not. But that still doesn't quite explain why you followed me."

Killian ran his good hand through his ruffled hair, his mask lying on the forest floor completely forgotten. He didn't know why he had followed. Perhaps he didn't want to give up on the woman who had believed in him so quickly, or maybe he just wanted to chase a beautiful woman. Either way, he was in the woods with her, and he didn't want to leave her just yet. "I don't know, lass."

Red bit her lip, her eyes gazing into his ocean blue orbs. They were captivating. She couldn't help but feel comfortable around the pirate. He hadn't been scared of her. He had just accepted that she was a wolf as though it were the most normal thing in the world. However, Red was fighting the urge to yell and scream until he went away. She would do anything to keep other people safe, and being close to her was about the biggest mistake anyone could make in her mind. "If you don't know, then you shouldn't be here," she said. Her mischief and teasing tone was gone replaced by serious worry.

She released his face and started to walk away, but was stopped by his hand grabbing hers. "Red," Killian said sternly. "I should be here. It looks like I'm not the only one harboring anger, love."

"I'm not angry," she sighed heavily, "just realistic."

Killian pulled her back into him until her chest bumped into his. "Living alone the rest of your life, standing on the edge of society, and hiding yourself from anyone who tries to get close to you doesn't seem like something you can live with," he said. Killian had always been good with reading people.

"Killian…"

"You need to learn just as much as I do. Maybe… maybe we can help each other," he said.

Red turned the idea over and over in her mind. She didn't know what to say about it. She could let him stay with her. She had finally gotten her own cottage, away from Granny. But did she really think the pirate would stay, or try to change at all. Was there even a point to any of this? Why had she even bothered making that offer to him? Her mind raced. "How? I need to be in the forest, and I feel like you don't stay in one place for long."

"I think I can stay a while longer," he said gently. It was true. His crew had dispersed recently, each one falling in love with one woman or another. They were making lives for themselves, and Killian simply lived port to port. Maybe he could take time from the sea, get his bearings again. He had lost enough that he deserved a break from loss.

Red considered his words. "Fine," she said. "You can stay with me."


	3. Long Nights Together

_**Long Nights Together**_

_Yay, people like this story. So I hope you guys like this chapter. I hope it's not crap. I still love reviews. Or private messages. Anything really. Give me prompts, suggestions, criticism, anything! I love hearing from you guys!_

Over the next month, Killian and Red had fallen into a comfortable pattern. They would sit and talk for hours upon hours, work around the house, and walk about the woods together. When Killian would go outside at night to gaze at the stars, Red would look out the window wondering what he was thinking about. They had danced around each other. There was a flirty nature, but neither was willing to go beyond their witty banter.

The two had shared secrets over the months. Even Killian had managed to open up, though the anger in his voice was apparent every time he mentioned Rumplestiltskin. Red had told him about Peter, but she had kept the details to herself. She didn't tell him that it was she who had killed her love. She couldn't bear to see the look of disgust on his face.

Killian stood outside under the night sky. His eyes were glued to the stars that twinkled above. Red walked out the door to find the man she had been spending all her time with lost in thought. Her green eyes looked curiously at the man. He was playing with the hook that had replaced his left hand absentmindedly. He didn't notice the young woman come up beside him with a curious smile on her face.

"Killian," she said softly. The pirate paid her no mind. She reached up to touch his shoulder and he jumped just a little.

He turned his ocean eyes to her. "Sorry, love," he replied, "I was a little lost."

"I could tell," she teased. "Where were you?" She knew better than to think he was just lost in thought about something. She could tell he was missing something. The sea? His crew? The Jolly Roger? Milah? She didn't know which, but she knew he wasn't meant to stay in the woods. This man was meant for the sea, but he had decided to stay with her for a time. Red wished he would stay with her, but she knew that was a lot to wish for.

Killian smiled down at her. "Lost at sea," he jested. He did love the sea, but something about this woman had him anchored.

"With Milah?" Red asked. She tried to keep the pain from her voice, but there was just a twinge of jealousy.

The jealousy Killian heard mirrored the jealousy that was usually in his voice when Red spoke of missing Peter. They both knew it shouldn't be there, but neither could help it. "No," he answered simply. At one point, he would have wanted Milah with him. After so long without her, he was almost lost the feeling of love he once had for her. Instead, he only held resentment for her killer. He couldn't live in the past any longer. That's what Red had taught him. "I miss the ocean. I miss my ship."

"But you don't miss Milah?" she asked.

"I did," he said, playing with a ring on his right hand to avoid looking at the beautiful brunette. "At one point, I thought she was the only woman I would ever love. She was adventurous, beautiful, courageous…." His voice trailed off for a moment. He breathed in deeply, willing himself to continue. "She was what I needed once. I did love her."

Red bit her lip, and looked up at him. "You did? Not anymore?"

Killian finally looked over at the woman, into the depths of her green eyes. "I have been trying to avenge her for so long that her memory has been twisted. I can't think of her without thinking of my anger, and my hatred. I loved the man I was when I had her, but I hate the man I turned into when she was taken from me." He had never once admitted to hating being a villain. He loved being a pirate, and he would never stop being a pirate. But being hell bent on the destruction of Rumplestiltskin would never affect the Dark One in the way that would make Killian feel better, it would simply destroy him. "I am destroying myself, Red."

Red looked up at him. "You're not the terrible villain that you think you are," she said softly. "You needed to hate something, and you chose him."

"What did you choose?" he asked softly. "When you lost Peter, what did you do?"

Red took a sharp intake of breath. "I-i…." She couldn't even speak. "I hated myself for a while."

"Now, why would a creature such as you hate yourself?" Killian asked softly. He brought a hand up to tuck her chocolate curls behind her ear under her red hood.

The woman before him took in another deep breath. "I told you I was the wolf from those rumors," she said. "And I wasn't always as in control of that wolf as I am now. And I-i…." A tear fell down her cheek without her consent. "I'm the one who killed Peter. And I wanted revenge on my Granny for hiding it from me, on my mother for abandoning me, and on myself…. And then I found my mother. She wanted me to kill the one person who had accepted me, wolf and human, and I couldn't do it. I chose Snow over my own mother."

Killian's thumb brushed the tear streak from her cheek. "How did you get over it? Any of it?" he asked, bending slightly to get to her level. He looked deep into her eyes, waiting for a response.

"I chose me," she said softly. "I didn't let anger and revenge shape me. I let my love for the people I care about help me move forward instead of being stuck in self-hatred."

Killian heard his own story echoed in hers. Only he hadn't picked himself. He had let Milah run his life from beyond the grave. He looked at the strong, beautiful woman before him.

He drew the woman into a searing kiss. Red was shocked for a quick moment before she returned his kiss. Her eyes drifted closed and her pale arms wrapped around his neck. Killian pulled her into his chest, locking his arms around her waist. The two were lost in each other. A month of living together, getting to know each other, and late night talks had been leading up to this moment.

Red breathed in his scent of leather and the faintest tint of sea salt. It was intoxicating. Their lips moved sharply against each other with built up passion.

They parted for air, foreheads touching and darkened eyes looking deeply into one another's. "What was that for?" Red asked breathlessly.

"For reminding me that sometimes it's important to choose yourself over revenge."


End file.
